Welding Tips and Tricks

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:42 pm**

How to Use Your Ultra 128GB SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty 210/280/400/800 - aka Perform Dynasty Software Upgrades using large SD Memory Cards.

The following was tested only on a 210 DX..... it will most likely work on other Miller Dynasty models, but no guarantee.

Use at your own risk.

So you go down the path:

walk into Staples or Costco & buy the most cost effective SD Memory card available. It's big. Like 128 GB.
- good luck finding a 32 GB or smaller SD card. Amazon has some for now, but <=32 GB are getting scarce.
unzip the Miller Dynasty code to your 128GB SD Memory Card following the Miller Dynasty instructions.
look at the SD card on your PC.... everything looks perfect. All the files unzipped fine.
pop the SD Card into your Dynasty and (if you're lucky) you'll get a RED flashing light. Or it might appear to partially work ok, then it seems to hang indefinitely.
you wait 5 minutes or so, scratching your head.... well, did it work or not ?
you check the software level on your Dynasty and nothing's been updated.
Duh !!!!! so what's wrong ?

As best I can tell, it's a compatibility issue using larger capacity SD Cards than what the Miller Dynasty was designed for..... but what do I know ?

The workaround I found, follows. I suspect there are other ways to accomplish the same thing. In any event, this is what I found to work.

the File Allocation Table (or format) on your SD Card might be "exFat" or "NTFS" or "who knows what".
I found that a file system format of "FAT32" works. "FAT16" might work too, but I was not able to verify with a complete end to end test.
so how does one reformat the SD Card to use FAT32 ? ..... FAT32 will NOT support a 128GB SD Card

This is what I did, using a PC laptop and WIN 7:

re-partition the SD Card to 4 GB (wasting 128-4 = 122GB ) ** see subsequent post for a sample on how that's done. SD Cards other than 128 GB should work as well.... just re-partition to 4 GB and proceed.
- Note: FAT32 supports file sytems sizes other than 4 GB. I just found it easy to select 4 GB and go. Pick whatever size you wish.... if it works, great..... if not, you know I tested with 4 GB. BTW, it appears 32 GB also works. See follow up post below.
then FORMAT the SD card to use "FAT32"
unzip the Miller software onto the re-partitioned SD card
place the SD card into your Dynasty & watch it update as per normal. BTW, during the update process your Dynasty will write a few LOG files to the SD Card so do not write protect your SD Card
done
optionally, you can re-partition the SD card back to 128GB & use the card for something else. SD Cards are cheap these days. I'd suggest you consider just leaving the card alone & re-use it for your next update (rather than repeatedly going thru the re-partition process steps. The choice is yours)

And if this is already documented elsewhere (I couldn't find it using Google) please forgive me

I was just trying to pay it forward.

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:45 pm**

Pictured below is what I actually tested with.

The Anker SD reader and SanDisk SD Reader / Cards all worked ok.

I suspect most SD Card readers or adapters would work.

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:48 pm**

This is a step by step process to create a useable SD Card for use in your Miller Dynasty. No doubt, there are other options but this is what I tested:

** Note.... if you're not familiar with how to re-partition a disk drive (the SD Card emulates a hard drive) this step may be problematic for you. If need be, get a knowledgeable friend to help you. I will cover the basics but USE AT YOUR OWN RISK !!

WARNING - choose wisely. The disk you select will be destroyed. You will lose all data on that disk !!!!
WARNING - DO NOT PROCEED if you're uncomfortable with these commands !!!!

On WIN 7 (or other MS operating system), you need to run the DISKPART utility.

- start DISKPART

Commands to type are in BLUE:

Code: Select all

Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7601
Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: PC150

DISKPART> list disk

Code: Select all

  Disk ###  Status         Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  -------------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online          894 GB      0 B
  Disk 1    Online           14 GB      0 B
  Disk 2    Online          119 GB      0 B                <<<<< in this case, Disk 2 is the SD Card

DISKPART> select disk 2 <<<<< it is imperative your select the correct SD Card on your PC

Code: Select all

Disk 2 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> detail disk <<<<< provides further verification you have selected the correct disk

Code: Select all

Generic- USB3.0 CRW   -SD USB Device
Disk ID: BBB26648
Type   : USB
Status : Online
Path   : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : UNAVAILABLE
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only  : No
Boot Disk  : No
Pagefile Disk  : No
Hibernation File Disk  : No
Crashdump Disk  : No
Clustered Disk  : No

  Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
  Volume 5     F                exFAT  Removable    119 GB  Healthy              <<<<< this is the 128 GB SD Card

DISKPART> list partition

Code: Select all

  Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------
  Partition 1    Primary            119 GB  1024 KB

DISKPART> clean <<<<< this destroys the contents of your selected disk

Code: Select all

DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.

DISKPART> create partition primary size=4096 <<<<< create a new smaller partition of 4 GB. EDIT: use "size=32768" if you want to go for the maximum of 32 GB

Code: Select all

DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.

DISKPART> active

Code: Select all

DiskPart marked the current partition as active.

DISKPART> format fs=fat32 label="Dynasty 210" quick <<<<< optional, label =

Code: Select all

  100 percent completed

DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.

DISKPART> detail disk

Code: Select all

Generic- USB3.0 CRW   -SD USB Device
Disk ID: 44AF5361
Type   : USB
Status : Online
Path   : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : UNAVAILABLE
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only  : No
Boot Disk  : No
Pagefile Disk  : No
Hibernation File Disk  : No
Crashdump Disk  : No
Clustered Disk  : No

  Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
* Volume 5     F   DYNASTY 210  FAT32  Removable   4096 MB  Healthy               <<<<< disk looks good at 4 GB

DISKPART> exit

You may now unzip the Miller Dynasty software to your SD Card. Touch wood, it will work in your Dynasty !!

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:15 pm**

Thanks for the detailed write-up Sportster!

Posted: **Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:47 am**

Thx Oscar. As a novice wannabewelder it's a challenge to contribute in a meaningful way. But hey, I do what I can where I can.

As a follow up test this morning, I made an attempt with the maximum size set for FAT32, aka >>> size = 32 GB .

Results --> my Dynasty 210DX read the re-partitioned SD card @ 32 GB, skipped the firmware update (since the installed firmware matched the firmware on the SD card), then wrote 6 LOG files to the SD card.

Conclusion --> it appears an SD card, re-partitioned to 32GB with FAT32, works fine. I'll do a full end-to-end test when Miller does the next drop of Dynasty firmware, but my expectation is it will work fine.

The DISKPART command to create the partition @ 32 GB is:

DISKPART> create partition primary size=32768 <<<<< create a primary partition = 32 GB

And here's a pic of the directory with the 6 written LOG files outlined.

Posted: **Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:14 pm**

Good stuff. I'm also a wanna-be hobby welder, but you'd never know from my machine Arsenal

Posted: **Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:22 pm**

For some reason I thought this was about how to Bypass having to buy the $700 software update, and I spent a long time scratching my head lmao. I was gonna do it as a favor for the local community college on the Dynasty 280 DX

Welding Tips and Tricks

How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty

Re: How to Use a Large SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty